


Gentle Waves

by ThatDamnKennedyKid



Series: Gentle Waters [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Chapter 700 Rewrite, Children, F/M, Married Couple, fem!naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-10 03:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDamnKennedyKid/pseuds/ThatDamnKennedyKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto comes home from the Kage conference to the love of her emotional family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gentle Waves

Naruto stood outside the door to her small house. It was still hard to believe, after all these years, that there was light peeking out from under the door. There were people waiting for her inside. People who loved her, wanted her, needed her. 

Like she did each night, she got giddy inside. She grasped the handle and opened the door.

* * *

Naruto sighed and turned away. She should have known Sakura would ignore her once Sasuke was back home. 

"Are you okay, Naruto-chan?" She smiled at Sai, who had his head cocked in adorable confusion. "Are you not happy that Sasuke is back?"

"I'm fine, Sai." She smiled harder. 

The answer didn't look like it pacified him, but he let her keep her secrets. "Would you like to go for ramen with me, Naruto-chan? I have had more . . . troubling emotions since our return from the war."

She brightened, for real, and nodded. "Sure, Sai. We'll talk about it over lunch."

* * *

Emotions was the main selling point when it came to Naruto and Sai. The boy didn't exactly know how to process himself and Naruto was the expert in figuring out deep, emotional troubles. 

"I have not been very pleased with Sasuke's return."

Since both Sai and Naruto were particularly blunt, it could be difficult between them to keep the peace. Sasuke, for her, was a touchy subject and it made her frown. She'd come to like Sai quite a bit over their year together and had hoped that he would at least try to like Sasuke.

She frowned, but kept judgement out of her voice. She understood why he wouldn't like Sasuke, even if she didn't particularly agree. "Why not?"

"I have noticed Sakura-chan fauns over him at an obsessive level. I have also noticed her withdrawal from you and how it has been affecting you negatively. This . . . troubles me. I do not like seeing you upset."

Well, she hadn't expected that. "You're upset because Sakura's being a bit off lately?"

"No. Sakura-chan's actions are very predictable and I already knew she would act as she has. I am upset she has hurt you."

"Uhh . . . alright then. Why do you care so much about my emotions?"

"You have come to be my closest comrade and a . . . friend. I care for you a great deal and when you are upset, I am upset as well."

She sat back, staring intensely at him. 

"Naruto-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Could I paint you?"

She turned red. "Like . . . paint on my body?"

He shook his head. "I do not wish to make you uncomfortable. Perhaps that would be an activity in the future. I would like to paint you on canvas."

 _An activity in the future._ "Okay. When?"

"Tonight? I find moonlight gleams on your skin."

"Alright then. Where?"

"My apartment. I have a large bay window I would like you to pose before."

"Sure. Food's on you, though."

Sai actually smiled at her. "I figured."

* * *

Sai really liked his bay window, Naruto found. She had been draped in a white sheet the first time. Then an orange one. Then bare. Then bare again. When he had asked to paint on her skin, she was so comfortable naked around him that she was barely ever dressed in his presence. She'd said yes in the light of day.

In the moonlight, she'd been breathless. Something came out in Sai that night, something dark and wanting and so painfully  _human_ that she couldn't deny him. His fingers had brushed gently over her skin, leaving goosebumps in it's wake. His eyes were a deeper black than she'd ever seen them, watching her carefully and intently.

"Is it uncomfortable, Naruto-chan?"

"No . . . "

His fingers dipped back into the paint, this time sliding down from her collarbone to her breast, circling around a nipple. Sai lowered himself over her more fully, gaze burning into her skin. 

"You are beautiful, Naruto-chan. So beautiful. I have such difficulty capturing the purity of your essence on canvas."

"Doesn't look like you do."

"I take precautions so that your image is not spoilt. I burn your form into my eyes, lodge it in my memory." Sai leaned up, hovering an inch or two over her lips. "I find that the more I paint you, the more I am around you, the more you stride around my apartment in one of my shirts, that I desire you greatly. Not Sasuke, not Sakura, no one else. Just you. My mind narrows and my eyes focus, no matter the blindness I suffer after staring at your radiance. I desire you, I  _want_ you."

" . . . You never want anything, Sai."

"The sensation is odd; foreign." Sai agreed, his un-painted hand coming up to stroke down her cheek. "But it is there. I want you. In all ways."

Naruto stared at him for a long time, her blue eyes shimmering silver in the moonlight. 

"You are worth every moment." He murmured, tracing down the definition of her abs. "Every second I wait, every day that passes, every week that flickers by, every month that I spend wanting, every year that I pass alone is worth it to see you, to feel you, to be close to you, to know you and to talk to you. Just to be around you and know that you are  _there_ makes all of the waiting worth it."

Tentatively, she reached out and stroked the bulging muscles in his supporting arm, watching as the muscle trembled under her touch. Her voice was wispy, more of a breath than words. "I so  _desperately_ want it to be real that I have trouble believing this is actually happening."

He smiled, tender and true. "I understand. This is not familiar or easy for me, either."

She met his gaze again, strength and will flashing in her eyes. "Then let's learn together."

* * *

"Hey! Naruto!"

The blonde stopped and looked back at the pinkette running after her. "Oh. Hey, Sakura. How are you?"

"I'm alright. Don't see you around anymore. What gives?"

She shrugged. "Sai has me most of the time."

Sakura wrinkled her nose. "Sai? What does Sai need you for?"

 _Need_. Quietly, Naruto bristled. Her face however, remained completely impassive.  _He doesn't need me. He want-_

"I don't need her. I want her."

Both women turned to look at Sai, who was smiling fakely behind them. 

It clicked behind Sakura's eyes. "Oh. Why didn't you guys tell me you were an item?"

Naruto shrugged again. "You always seemed too busy. I didn't want to disturb you."

"I've always got time for you, Naruto!"

The blonde forced a smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Sakura."

Suddenly, Kiba had her by the shoulders and spun her around. "Hinata just told me. Congratulations on your engagement!"

A genuinely pleased smile lit up her face and she hugged him back. "Thanks, Kiba."

"How long now?"

She giggled. "Two weeks."

"Let me see this rock." 

Naruto held up her left hand and Kiba's mouth hit the ground. Sai gently draped and arm about her waist, smiling in subdued satisfaction. He had made money he never spent in ROOT, more than he could ever think of spending. So, he had went and bought the ring he felt Naruto deserved.The delicate gold and platinum vines twirled around each other, climbing over the onyx dais and curling around the sky blue diamond affectionately. He thought it complimented the nature of their relationship beautifully. 

"That thing is huge!" 

Naruto smirked. "You've got a lot to live up to with Hinata. Get a ring on that girl!"

Kiba rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "Yeah, yeah. You know, the only person that doesn't push me into doing that is Hinata herself, right?"

Naruto leveled him with an even gaze. "Of course she won't. She's too nice. I, however, am not. Get a ring on that finger! I want to see one before my wedding!"

Kiba pouted. "Alright, alright."

"Don't be cheap about it, either."

"Okay mom! I get it." He huffed. "That is a nice rock, though."

"I thought so." Naruto smiled again, gentler, and leaned into her long-time friend. "You save up for it and I'll help you pick out the ring, okay?"

"Really?!"

"Sure. I know you're completely lost." Naruto smiled and patted him on the back. "Not everyone is like Sai."

Kiba pouted. "Yeah, compare us. It's completely fine. I mean, it's not like we're so different that I'm a dog trainer and he's an artist or anything."

She laughed at him again and shook her head. "Stupid mutt."

He laughed. "Sorry to run like this, but I just wanted to drop by and say congrats. You too, Sai. Got yourself a gem there." He winked and with a hug, was off again.

"You two are engaged?"

They both turned back to Sakura, the hurt clear on her face. Sai took over. 

"You are not in our lives. Why would we go out of our way for someone who does not for us? Truthfully, Sakura, I haven't spoken to you in almost ten years."

"It can't be that long."

Naruto sighed. "The last time we talked was at your birthday party. And that was just passing. You clung to Sasuke the whole night despite the fact that I seen him kissing Ino later that night."

She remembered that night. She had clung to Sasuke even more after that, but he firmly told her that he had been with Ino for a long time before this. He'd even told her before, but she hadn't listened. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Naruto, Sai. I didn't mean to."

"I think you did." Naruto murmured quietly. "Not Sai, but me. You didn't want competition. I get it. We can be friends again, Sakura, but that's your choice, not mine." Blue eyes met green. "So, come find me when you know what you want. Until then, see ya around."

* * *

"Mama!"

She dropped down and caught the little thing that jumped into her arms. "Hey, Nikkou! How've you been, baby girl?"

"Dad taught be how to use the Super Beast Scroll technique." The girl hummed, blue eyes set off by stark black hair and bright, pale skin. 

"She takes after her mother. She draws foxes and toads."

Naruto looked up to the calm face of the man she'd married. He was dressed in simple grey-black pants and his house-only tank top. His lean but powerful arms were on display and he was stained with ink, no doubt from their daughter's enthusiastic attempts at learning the jutsu. 

She grinned. "Looks like you had fun today."

He smiled at them. "We did."

Naruto hoisted her daughter up onto her hip. 

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Nikkou fished from paper from her back pocket. "Here!"

She tried to read the page, but it was smeared with blood ink. 

"She got accepted into the Academy today."

"Huh." The paper hadn't come across her desk. Ah, Shikamaru would probably give it to her tomorrow. "I think this calls for a celebration."

He walked over and took Nikkou from her. "We'll clean, then go." He kissed her, gently and tenderly, expressing emotions that were still harder for him to control. "Welcome home, love."

* * *

The house was doused in paint and ink from one end to the other. Tomorrow, they'd have to repaint the whole thing and scrub the floors. But, for now, they just stood over their exhausted daughter's bedside, watching their angel sleep. 

"Sai?"

He hummed against her shoulder, hands caressing her stomach. "Yes?"

"I love you and I'm proud of you."

He kissed her bare shoulder. "Not as much as I am of you. My Naruto, the Hokage. Nothing rings quite like that."

She chuckled. One of his hands carded through her shoulder-length hair. "I'm happy she looks so much like you. I have no idea how I wound up with my dad's hair. Kami forbid I grow it any longer. I'll look like Sasuke."

He rumbled a laugh that travelled through her body and curled low and warm in the pit of her stomach. "I think it suits you. And if you cut her hair, it does spike up. 

"Poor girl."

He kissed up her neck. 

"Trying to tell me something?"

"To me, you will always be the most radiant beauty. No haircut, no age will change that. I will love you forever, regardless."

"Naked. Bed. Now."

He chuckled, but let her go and backed off. "Are you trying to tell  _me_ something?"

She grinned at him. "I think Nikkou needs a sibling, don't you?"

* * *

In the quiet of the morning, they just lay curled together, tangled like the vines on the ring that dazzled in the morning sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> "Nikkou" translates to "Sunlight" in Japanese.


End file.
